The Journal Newsletter

August 2000
Volume 1, Issue 1

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the first issue of DavidRM Software's The Journal Newsletter!

I have several plans for the newsletter. In addition to keeping you up to date with the most recent The Journal releases, I hope to offer valuable tips on using The Journal, and even provide a forum for users to present how they use The Journal.

Since not everyone supports (or even likes) HTML formatting in their email, the newsletter will be sent out in "plain text". This may change in the future if enough people request it.

To supplement the "plain text" email version that I will send out, I will post a fully formatted HTML version of the newsletter on The Journal's web page. The HTML version will trail the email version by 1-2 weeks, depending on my current workload. The newsletter "archives" will be located on The Journal's Newsletter web page: http://www.davidrm.com/thejournal/newsletter/

Thank you again for supporting DavidRM Software's The Journal!

Current Version
The Journal 2.3 is the most recent release. You can download it from here: http://www.davidrm.com/thejournal/

ZDNet Shareware Awards 2000 Finalist
The Journal was selected as one of 5 "Personal Productivity" finalists in their annual Shareware Awards.

The Journal didn't win, but being selected as a finalist is still Really Cool. =)

Announcing The Journal 2.4 - In Development
I have decided to release another update to The Journal 2.x series: The Journal 2.4.

The Journal 2.4 will bring the The Journal into full ASP (Association of Shareware Professionals) compliance, add a couple of much-needed extensions, and fix the bugs that have been found in the 2.3 release.

The Journal 2.4 will be another free upgrade for any registered users of The Journal 1.x and 2.x.

List of Planned New Features in 2.4:

There are some planned features that I'm not announcing because I might not be able to work them in. I'll know more as development continues.

Right now, the release date for The Journal 2.4 is set for "before the end of the year". I expect to be able to release it by November at the latest, but it's hard to be more precise at this time.

TIPS & TRICKS

TIP: Faster Daily Entry Browsing

If you refer back to recent entries in a daily category, using the following hot-keys is probably faster than clicking on the date tree:

F7 and F8 also work in loose-leaf categories, though a bit differently, depending on the tree-structure of the entries.

FAQ: How do I change the default font of a category?

Answer: To change the default font of an existing category, right-click the category tab and choose "Category Properties..." You will be able to change the font on the "Font & Colors" tab of the form that pops up.

Changing the default font with "User Preferences" changes the font that will be used when new categories are created. It does not affect any categories that already exist.

HOW I USE THE JOURNAL

Submitted by: David Michael

Since is this the first issue of the newsletter, I'll begin the "How I Use The Journal" section. In the future issues, I would very much like to publish how *you* use The Journal. Submission information follows the article.

I use The Journal more "professionally" than "personally". By that I mean that I use The Journal primarily as a means of keeping notes about my current projects than for personal examination and introspection.

I make an entry almost every day, mostly professional, occassionally personal, and sometimes both. If I work on something during the day, I write a quick note about it, either during or after. If I'm struggling with a personal issue, I have long, type-written conversations with myself about it, trying to cover the issue from as many sides as I can think of.

I tend to be grammatical in all my entries, though stream-of-consciousness in content. Should anyone ever actually read through my journal entries, they may prove amusing to them, but I'm only "talking" to myself, not to any potential future reader. On top of mostly-correct grammar, I also use formatting, like italics, for emphasis and variety. I only use 3 of the 6 user styles available, and then only for marking sections. Times New Roman 12pt is the font in all of my categories, and always with black text, though I use varying light-colored backgrounds so I can keep track of which category I'm in.

I have 29 total categories (I just counted), but only 11 are active. There 2-3 categories that I keep inactive except for brief "information hunts" that I conduct occassionally. Most of the rest of the inactive categories are maintained only because I like to keep anything I write. ;-)

How I organize my categories has evolved over the last few years. Currently, my categories are "grouped" per subject/project, with a daily category for keeping daily notes, and a loose-leaf category for more document-oriented entries. For instance, I have a "The Journal Notes" daily category and a "The Journal Docs" loose-leaf category (where, incidently, I'm composing this newsletter).

I keep "drafts" of any documents I create in loose-leaf entries, and I export to RTF to create a Word document when one is necessary. I use tree-structuring to organize my loose-leaf entries extensively.

Submissions for "How I Use The Journal" should be sent to: davidrm@davidrm.com Indicate that this is for "How I Use The Journal" in the subject of the email. Try to limit your submissions to 500-1000 words. Submissions may be edited for length and content. If you prefer to remain anonymous, please state this. Otherwise your name (but not your email) will be used in the article heading.

WRITING EXERCISES

by Susan Michael

1. Journaling/Writing Exercise: Imagine yourself in a place you like to be (not necessarily someplace you like to *go*). What do you like about it? What are the most intriguing/appealing aspects? In contrast, think of a place you do *not* like being. What makes you not like being there? Think how you can use this to develop ideas for writing.

2. Journaling/Writing Exercise: Pretend that you see yourself walking into a room. What's your first impression of yourself? What stands out about you? Optionally extend this exercise by changing the "room" you are entering (the gym, the office, etc.). How does that change your impression?

Please remember: With writing exercises you're not trying to create something to sell, so you shouldn't take them *too* seriously. Don't dwell on the exercises. Be spontaneous. You're trying to stimulate your creativity, practice your writing skills, and improve your overall attitude--and maybe learn something about yourself. Have fun with them!

About the author: Susan Michael calls herself the "Poetry Enabler" and is active in spoken word poetry. She has facilitated several writing groups, and lead writing & creativity workshops for the Arts & Humanties Council in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

If you would like to contribute to the "How I Use The Journal", "Writing Exercises", or "Tips & Tricks" sections, or would like to submit an article about journaling or another The Journal-related topic, we would love to hear from you.

Submissions for the newsletter should be sent to: davidrm@davidrm.com

If you are submitting for a particulare section, please indicate which one. Try to limit your submissions to 500-1000 words. Submissions may be edited for length and content.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, please state this in the email. Otherwise your name (but not your email) will be used in the article heading.

As always, if you have any suggestions for, or bug reports about, The Journal, please feel free to email them. Both are always welcome.

Editor: David Michael (davidrm@davidrm.com)
Copyright © 2001 by David Michael. All Rights Reserved.
Writing Exercises Copyright © 2001 by Susan Michael. All Rights Reserved.